LAREDO, TEXAS -- After contacting Sony Customer Service Rep Eduardo at 800-282-2848 he informed me the cost of repair would be $81.59 that amount was deducted from my bank 1-24-2011, he gave me intructions to sent the camcorder to Sony Laredo Repair Center, 10227 CrossRoad Noop Suite C, in Laredo Texas 78045, I sent the camera on 1-18-2011, he gave me a case# E47578169 & work order # 300279751. On 1-21-2011 I called Laredo at 866-357-6230 and talked to Fernado to see if they had gotten my camcorder he told me no they hadn't. On 1-28-2011 I called Laredo again on the status of my camcorder they told me that my camcorder was in shipping and that they would send me an email with the traciking number, I got an email so I can check myself what the status was on my camera, but when I type the case number it returned back saying Sorry not found, also the tracking number went into a black hole because I didn't get it. Also on the same day 1-28-2011 I called Sony Customer Service and filed a complaint with them about the run around I was getting. I called Customer Service on 1-31-2011 talked with Frank and he told me that he was going to put a priority request to Laredo for them to get back with me in two business, well four days past with no call. On 2-3-2011 I called Laredo and talked with Gabriel he informed me that my camcorder would ship tomorrow. I called again on 2-4-2011 the camcorder hadn't shipped., and still no tracking number had been issued. On the same day I checked my bank balance as I do three time a week, come to find out that Sony even though they had already deducted the cost of repair back on 1-24-2011
they had pulled out of my bank account an addiontal $81.59 plus another $93.59 and if that wasn't enough they out another $93.59 for a total of $268.77, after communcating with my sister in San Diego California she was able to communicate with Sony Corporate Office there in San Diego I got my money returned. On 2-8-2011 at 2 o'clock pacific time, I called Laredo again talked with Carlos he told me that my camcorder had shipped last Thursday 2-3-2011, I was happy for that. But with all of the previous run arounds I wanted to make sure, so three minutes later I called Laredo again and talked with Albert he told me my camcorder was in shipping. Two Minutes later I called again and Chris told me it was in shipping. I filed a complaint with the Attorney General of Texas, on 2-9-2011 also on the same day I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau of central Texas, and on 2-12-2011 I filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commsion. Where is the justice in all this can't a senoir citizen be protected from this greedy monsters, as long as their pockets are full nothing else matters.

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Sony Customer Service Lacks Common Sense

Posted by Common Sense Man on 08/25/2009

My camcorder began to not fully 'pop up' the tape cartridge, and show the error message, "Please reinsert tape." I checked with Sony Repair - nom problem, $111.00 flat rate, and $8.00 to ship if you use their preprinted label. I agree, print label, Securely wrap my 'baby' in miles of bubble wrap and multiple boxes, and ship it off to Texas.
So far, so good.
I then wait to get an e-mail that my repair is completed. None comes - two weeks, three weeks, one month. So I contact them. They lost the camera at the repair center, but they'll look for it. Two more weeks pass. No call back. I call again. THEY CAN'T FIND MY CAMERA!!
They say that they'll offer me a replacement, and tell me they'll call me back. No call back.
I call again. They offer me a placement camera. I say I need to research that model and I'll call them back.
I call them back -- the model offered is in no way 'similar' to my model that they lost. The customer representative basically tells me, "Well that's all the cameras that we have left around here. Someone didn't pay for the repair to it, so it's what we have here to offer you." I explain to him that the model is in no way 'comparable' to my model, all of my accessories will not work with the offered model, and I would like to have the same model again. Even though you can purchase them from the MAJOR online electronics purveyors, he tells me that he can't locate that model. I ask to speak to his supervisor. He's not there.
I call again, later, and speak to the "supervisor" (who sounds like the twin of the first idiot). I carefully explain that they've lost my unit. My camera is now someone else's camera, and this happened after UPS delivered it to them and they signed that they received it. O. K., so far so good again. I explain to him that I have a lot of accessories for my unit, and therefore the offered used model will be of no used to me. He asks (with a heavy Mexican accent) "Hwhy doan jew yust buy all de ack-sess-sories for this model we offer jew?" I take a moment to gather myself and explain that THEY L-O-S-T my camera, and I should NOT be out any money for THEIR mistake. He then goes off on how my camcorder was three years old, and I really should get a new one, and says that they'll give me $193 cash to get one, to settle this claim. (My unit is used on Amazon, an average price of what's out there used, at $320). When I tell him this he acts like that's outrageous. I ask him to take till tomorrow to check for himself, and he tells me that he doesn't have a computer at home . . . I'm done with the idiot twins in Laredo, Texas, so I ask to Speak to THEIR supervisor, and guess what? She's not there right now.
I call again. Now I'm told that their supervisor doesn't want to speak to me, and that the whole matter is going to Sony Customer Information Service Center (CISC) in Fort Meyers, Florida. Fort Meyers will contact me within the next 48 hours . . . that was four days ago.
Guess what I get to do next?

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Electronic Product Failures

Posted by niklson on 11/18/2008

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA -- I purchased an HDR HC7 video camera in August of 2007 and on 11/9/2008, after less than 8 total hours of video recording use it ceased to function. Refusing to close its cassette carriage, it continually signals a no tape or locked tape issue. The Sony warranty is one year parts, 3 months labor. Indicated cost to repair was $461.00, a "flat rate". However, I subsequently discovered that this is a common problem, to the extent that the vendor from whom I purchased the camera - a national on-line company with an excellent reputation - verfied that they had discovered the frequency of failures and, as a result, pulled the camera from their sales lines.
(Update: 11/24/2008: A person called hank.cd4e from "SonyListens" emailed me, then called me on 11/24/08. While he had not bothered to obtain the e-mail communications between me and his service department he did offer to take 50% off of the $461 flat (parts, labor and return shipping) repair rate quoted to me through the Sony website. Since he had not researched the e-mails he did not realize that the Sony service rep had written that the actual cost may be less - or more - and not to depend upon the accuracy of the repair quote. In other words, in corporate double speak their repair "quote" seems to not be an actual quote. At the same time, he does not seem to understand that repair of a device that is fundamentally defective in design or construction cannot be considered an intelligent action. In the absence of more valuable information, I advised hank.cdre that I would see Sony in court.)

ll/18/08 continued: I have advised Sony via e-mail discussion that the matter is a non-warranty issue. Instead, it is an issue of design or construction leading to failure. The camera is unsuitable to fulfill the function that it is advertised to be capable of completing. I am taking Sony to court over the issue if they will not respond in the way that they should. However, an example of their cooperative attitude is that they refused to provide with me their address for legal service of process, and also gave me a telephone number for their legal department which, after 52 calls to date, is always busy. I actually believe that this is a number given to customers which is designed to turn them away or make them just give up. (Update 11/24/08 - web research indicates that the phone number is an unlisted number registered to Sony in New Jersey)

Naturally, they deny any knowledge of a common product failure. What company would admit that it continued to sell cameras with a known defect history? I'll update this post after the court hearing on the matter, but my suggestion where research shows that poor design or construction is likely is to just take the sobs to small claims court, if that is the proper venue. It doesn't cost much and if more people went to the effort today's big companies might just remember what customer service actually is instead of building barriers to put customers off.
1/29/09: Sony, prior to the court date, agreed to take the camcorder back and to refund my entire purchase price.

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Handycam DCR-TRV250 Driver Update

Posted by JPCrazy on 11/02/2012

Rating: 1/51

I own a Sony Handycam DCR-TRV250. I know its old but it works just fine. I recently purchased a laptop computer with the MS Windows 7 64 bit operating system. Sony does not and will not provide compatible drivers for this operating system.

While looking for the drivers I found that drivers for my model handycam are available for Windows 8.

In in incomprehensible for Sony to just skip the Windows 7 operating system.

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Amazed

Posted by Oma32 on 10/31/2007

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA -- I am working on my third Sony camcorder. The first one was a BIG one and we decided we'd like something smaller as we got older. I loved my next camera, until suddenly the film started jumping, flickering. I sent it to Sony repair and it came back "fixed"---only it wasn't. So back to Sony it went, and came back still not fixed.

At this point we bought another camera--Sony again. Three years later the camera stopped recording. I could playback older tapes, but couldn't record. No way would I send this to Sony repair. So we drove down to the Sony Style shop in Fashion Valley San Diego. To our absolute amazement our camera was traded out for a new model and our battery was also traded out. It cost us nothing!
I'm surprised I was able to drive home as shocked and amazed as I was. I went down expecting nothing and came home with a working camera.

I will never, ever, bad mouth Sony again.

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Never buy Sony

Posted by DanielatDOD on 12/03/2005

IRELAND -- Never will I buy Sony again. I bought an € 800 camcorder which gave problems after a few months. The tape compartment door lock did not open fully, by forcing it slightly side ways it opened. Brought it back for service in Holland only to find that it now did not close anymore. Sent it back again and they claimed that this was caused by moisture damage?? and was not covered under warranty. I would cost me over € 500 to repair. Phone contact with them became really abusive. Subsequently I handed it in, just before warranty lapsed, at the Sony centre in Ireland. Here it was checked and they found that the well hidden sensor on the chassis controlling the tape door motion was mechanically damaged. The engineer agreed that this could only have been caused by the first repair. The Sony centre in Ireland repaired this for me for 280 Euros. They allowed 40 Euros, as this is all they get per repair and would not cover replacing the chassis. Complaint in Holland was only met by more abuse!